Cloud is Final Fantasy VII's iconic hero, known for his huge sword and being a man of few words. Vincent Valentine played a minor role in Final Fantasy VII, but that's about to change in Dirge of Cerebus. In this game we learn about Vincent's past and how he must save the world from Shinra once again.

Many characters from Final Fantasy VII make an appearance including Cid, Barret, and Yuffie. Caith Sith is a playable character for one level that requires stealth reconnaissance. The rest of the time is spent with Vincent wielding his handguns from a third person perspective. You can change to a first person mode which is almost too easy with the auto targeting. When you do melee attacks, the game will revert back to a third person perspective. Since some of the enemies have strong defenses, melee attacks are not uncommon.

Most of your enemies will consist of Deep Ground soldiers (elite Shinra soldiers) and snipers. There are some robots, giant bugs and hyena like creatures too. Many of the bosses are airships but there are some Materia enhanced warriors willing to fight you too. The bosses are surprisingly tough, but they usually have a weakness or a predictable pattern. One chain gun wielding boss decided to pick a fight with me while being surrounded by explosive barrels. After shooting those barrels, he was quickly dispatched. The environment can work to your favor, so pay attention.

Highlights:

Strong Points: Excellent story telling of the relationship between Vincent Valentine and LucreciaWeak Points: Other than the movies, the visuals are bland and the gameplay is so-soMoral Warnings: Plenty of violence, low cut feminine outfits, and Cid still has his sailor's tongue

There wasn't a whole lot of room for exploration as many paths were conveniently obstructed by debris or locked doors. Many paths are temporarily blocked by electronic gates that become unlocked after you find its key card. Sometimes the key cards are just accross the map, but they are usually dropped by a tougher than normal enemy.

Besides finding key cards, there are various optional objectives like locating data discs and rescuing civilians and friendly World Regenesis Organization (WRO) soldiers along the way. At the end of every level you are scored on various attributes like accuracy and by how many objectives you have successfully completed. You can put your score into experience (recommended) or convert it to gil (money). Before starting the next level you are given an option to buy healing potions, ammunition and weapon upgrades.

Jukeboxes can be found in almost every level and they serve as storefronts. I don't think they play music though. Since I emulated this game on my PC, my audio experience is a bit marred by the stuttering in the cut scenes. The voice acting was good and I did enjoy the final boss music even though it was in Japanese.

The movies look amazing and were on par in quality to Advent Children. Given the release dates of the movie and this game, they were probably done at the same time and by the same studio. The character models look good and were probably cutting edge for the PS2 back then. The rest of the game world was a bit bland and unimpressive. Granted, the dreary colors may have something to do with the planet being out of balance and in danger again.

The game play is a bit on the average side as well. You have to shoot your way past enemy soldiers, fight a boss, rinse, and repeat. The unfolding story and beautiful movies make it worth while in the end. In order to understand the characters and back story of this game you have to be familiar with Final Fantasy VII.

Cid has his usual quirks like smoking and cussing up a storm. Of course, violence is a given and Vincent Valentine makes revolvers look cool. Lastly, like many games these days, the females have less clothing than their male counterparts. If you don't mind those issues or average gameplay, Dirge of Cerebus does have a good story to tell. You just have to be patient to get through it all.

So a Japanese developer is trying to make SimCity, and one of the staff says to another, “Hey, know what would be cool?” “No, what?” “How about if we let the player control the city-builder, that way he can walk around the city he’s built?” “Hmm…that does sound pretty interesting.” “Yeah, yeah, and then he can help the citizens by talking to every single one of them to see if they have any complaints—every five minutes.” “Um, that doesn’t really—” “And, and, and then they have to talk to even more people and ask if their friends want to move in to the town!” “This sounds like a bad idea.” “Be quiet; I’m a genius, like Shigeru Miyamoto, only more handsome.”

Or, at least that’s what I think happened during the development Metropolismania 2; because I can’t think of any other explanation for its poor quality and myriad of other issues. As you might have been able to tell from the (possibly exaggerated) conversation, Metropolismania 2 is a city-sim that allows the player to directly interact with the town’s inhabitants, albeit in a very limited fashion.

In fact, it’s not so much interaction, as it is placating. While roaming about the town, certain buildings may begin to glow, which indicates that its residents are unhappy. They will most likely request some type of amenity (more doctors, police, restaurants, etc…), and should you not bend to their will, they threaten to leave, which they will. The problem is that these services aren’t always available: they have to “want” to come into your town, in which case they’ll send you a notification, but it’s rarely that easy.

More often than not, I had to run all over town, asking residents if they know anyone in that specific field who might want to move. What’s worse is that the clock is constantly ticking down, and the residents are just waiting to leave town like a child having a temper tantrum. It’s like I’ve been babysitting while I should have been managing; which the game makes nearly impossible through a few awful design choices.

There’s the aforementioned building problem, which makes city-planning extremely difficult. The camera is also more than delighted to contribute by frequently moving to a bad angle on the ground, or trying as hard as possible to disorient the player when zooming out. Of course, the controls are in on this conspiracy as well, and nearly everything feels stiff and forced. I would say the sound is a conspirator as well, but there was so little of it that I doubt it could have even been an accomplice: absolutely no voice acting, generic music, and mediocre sound effects. The graphics fare slightly better, with character models almost reminiscent of Harvest Moon and decent (if a bit plain) looking buildings.

It seems like the only good things I can mention about this game are unintentional, like the dialogue. Whether it was poorly translated or someone just really wants to know whether I prefer “frog or aggressive person”, there were quite a few times when I burst out laughing simply from the bizarre questions NPC’s would ask. Or when I learned how to jump…over buildings…by eating pizza. I’ll never quite understand the Japanese culture.

Unfortunately, I was unable to finish Metropolismania 2, so I’m going to be a bit unprofessional here and assume that the ESRB took notice of all of this title’s moral problems. I noticed a few references to alcohol such as pubs and characters mentioning wine. The only other problem (which I was unable to find) is mild suggestive references hidden somewhere in the game.

Normally, I’d be in the middle of the review by now, but I have nothing left to say this time. It’s a rare occurrence when I have so little good to say about a game, but this is one of those times. Metropolismania 2 isn’t some horrible game that deserves to be on a list of the worst games ever, but there is just absolutely nothing nice to say about it. If you’re that desperate to answer the age old question of “strawberry waffles or jellybeans”—go to a psychiatrist.

Let me just get this out of the way: the Sly series is Assassin’s Creed for kids (or, since Sly came first, Assassin’s Creed is Sly for adults). Either way, my need for stealthy action is fulfilled, but with Sly I don’t have to worry about people walking in while I’m murdering the Pope. Not that I did or intend to do so…Moving on, Sly 3 is a stealth-platformer at heart, but with more diversions, challenges, and minigames than you could wave a hidden blade at…I swear, I didn’t kill anyone…

There are six chapters in all, but combined with a decent selection of challenges and an excellent tutorial, there’s more than enough content for at least ten hours. It’s possible to eke out a few more hours of gameplay by attempting 100% completion or playing some of the bonus mini-games with a friend, though I wouldn’t recommend doing either of those, as I found the mini-games unnecessary and completing the entire game yields a small reward.

As in Sly 2, most of the gameplay is split between the three members of the Cooper Gang: Sly, Murray, and Bentley. Sly is by far the most athletic of the group and where I draw comparisons to Assassin’s Creed from. Impressive climbing abilities, stealth attacks, and plenty of special gadgets and abilities make Sly the most interesting character (in my opinion). Murray, the muscle of the outfit, has the greatest offensive abilities but not much else. Bentley, an asthmatic turtle who has been confined to a wheelchair, has the widest range of gadgets and can hack objectives, making him the most strategic choice.

It’s an interesting group to say the least, and they work well together, for the most part. You see, while the three I just mentioned are the core members of the Cooper Gang, new recruits are added throughout the storyline. Some familiar faces from Thievius Raccoonus and Band of Thieves, along with some completely new characters, are introduced as the story progresses, but none of them feel fleshed out. They’re there for the sole purpose of padding the gameplay and story length.

This isn’t a new problem either. The previous installment added in Murray and Bentley, and while that was clearly fluff, at least it made sense. They’re part of team Cooper, and while they weren’t the most engaging characters, they added some new elements to the series. It’s hard to deny that Murray’s beat ‘em up sections felt great: beating the snot out of all those thugs felt satisfying, since that could never be done as Sly. And Bentley, though more slow and methodical, had some pretty intense missions throughout the experience that utilized his unique abilities.

These new characters, though, are only played in missions, and half of the time it’s within a minigame. It’s not like the new characters are bad, or even unenjoyable, but they’re not what I play the game for. What I play for is a fantastic, rock-solid platformer with stealth elements, challenging missions, and family friendly gameplay. And that’s still here, and it’s even better in spots, but those spots are spread much thinner than before. I like the Sly series (a lot), but I’m not sure if Sly 3 is a step in the right direction.

There’re plenty of new features and such, (multiplayer minigames, new characters, six brand new levels along with a tutorial) but so much of it is unnecessary. The multiplayer isn’t particularly fun, the new characters feel tacked on, I didn’t enjoy the new levels as much as the ones in Sly 2, and don’t even get me started on the voice acting.

But I don’t want to make it seem like it’s all negative, there are good things as well. The core gameplay is great, and I’d even say it’s better than Sly 2 in some spots. Bentley and Murray are a great example. Previously, they weren’t very much fun to play as, but this time, it feels like actual thought and effort were put into their characters. They have unique gadgets, and more missions that make use of their unique abilities. It was nice to take a break from constantly lurking in the shadows to pummel some goons as Murray or plan a complex trap as Bentley.

Everything still controls perfectly and I enjoyed the story, music, and comic book style visuals. I was even surprised by a few of the minigames. I thought the little “hacking” (twin-stick shooter) sections were neat, and later on in the game, there’s a whole pirate side-game that I absolutely adored. Even the moral content of this game is pretty great. Other than the obvious cartoon violence warning, the only major warning would be about the Robin Hood style thievery. I’m sure some people will just shrug it off, since a lot of it goes to the poor and unfortunate, but it is there.

After setting the game down and writing this review, I can’t help but feel confused. I had a good time with Sly 3, but I feel like there are a lot of but’s. This is a fun game, but it has too much fluff. I liked a few of the new features, but there were even more that I didn’t like. I’m definitely glad this game was made, but I wish it was more like Sly 2.

Sly 3 is nowhere near bad; all of it is at least functional and somewhat enjoyable, but I can’t help but feel a little disappointed. All of the elements are there, and it’s still one of the best games on the PlayStation 2, but it’s also a lot less enjoyable than the first two games. That being said, it’s still Sly, and I absolutely think it’s worth playing, but that comes with a warning. I don’t believe it’s as good as its predecessor, and I think some fans may be disappointed.

Quick confession, I have a (probably unhealthy) obsession with finding alternatives to popular M-rated games. It brings me an odd sense of joy to find T-rated shooters, bloodless hack-n-slash titles, and open world games where mass murder isn’t encouraged. More often than not, the alternative games I find are mediocre at best and nails-on-chalkboard horrible the rest of the time. I found Island Xtreme Stunts while looking for a child-friendly open world game, and while it’s nowhere near as fun as some of the more recent Lego titles, it’s certainly not the worst Lego game I’ve played.

Gameplay in Xtreme Stunts is split between completing quests and collecting Lego bricks in the hub world, and executing various stunt scenes for the movie. You see, the main character, Pepper Roni, is the lead stuntman in a new movie appropriately titled “Xtreme Stunts”. So while in the main hub, Lego Island, Pepper can interact with signs scattered around the island to begin filming a stunt sequence for the movie. Each scene is a separate mini-game involving one of the stunts, and each mini-game consists of some kind of race. Before starting any of the stunts, a quick explanation of the scene is given by the director, followed by a training room where you can practice the controls. There are five of these in all, a pathetic number, I know; but each one was well polished and came with three difficulty levels. Breaking up the monotony of the average car, boat and plane chases, the two other scenes (which I won’t spoil) bring some diversity.

In a rather ironic twist, it seems as if the story missions act better as side missions than the actual side missions. Even with beating all the difficulty levels, it only took a few hours to complete every single one. But it’s not all bad; there’re still things to do around the island in-between the story segments. The island can be explored almost straight from the start, and after earning the respective license (yes, you need licenses), a wide variety of cars, boats, and planes can be driven around the island. Or, if you prefer something more impressive, Pepper is a master skateboarder and always carries his board with him.

While roaming around the island, players will be able to help the island’s inhabitants with their random problems. Some need an item delivered within a certain amount of time and others just want to have a friendly race. Seventeen of these missions are available, once again a rather pathetic number, but this time, the small number is a big problem. The majority of the time I spent with this game, was spent in the hub, but there really wasn’t all that much to do. Because, as it is, there’s about six hours of content with all of the side and story missions combined.

I suppose a perfectionist might be able to squeeze a few extra hours out by collecting all of the Lego bricks scattered about the island. Instead of being used as currency, these blocks are used to build “brickimals”, Lego animals that will appear around the island once they’ve been built. Character cards are also hidden throughout Lego Island, and if you care to find them, you’re rewarded with information about the inhabitants of the island. Finding these collectables is completely optional, but I found most of them without even trying, and it didn’t take too long to find the others while flying around the island.

The other thing I found while flying around the island is pop-in. Entire buildings would appear and disappear depending on how far away I was. Near the end, I also began to notice that textures would do the same thing, except this was only fifteen feet in front of me. When buildings and streetlights aren’t appearing next to me though, the game actually looks pretty decent. Similar to the more recent Lego titles, the majority of the island’s landscape isn’t made out of Lego bricks, but all the buildings and vehicles are. What’s made out of Lego looks great, buildings look as if they were built right out of box, characters are common (but likeable) stereotypes, and a neat little assembling/disassembling animation occurs whenever characters enter a vehicle. The mini-games are also worth noting, with their colorful environments and steady frame rates. But all this make me wonder why the rest of the island looks so horrible. All of the geographic formations on the island are jagged, and non-Lego textures are muddy and dull.

But at least the story isn’t dull. As mention before, you play as Pepper Roni, a pizza delivery boy turned stuntman starring in an upcoming action movie. The main antagonist in this movie is the Brickster, who also happens to be the antagonist of the last two Lego Island titles. Having already been thwarted two times, the Brickester has a bit a chip on his shoulder, and is using this movie as a cover to achieve his latest evil plan. The general public is clueless, the police can’t do anything without concrete evidence, and it’s up to Pepper to save Lego Island. It feels as if it was ripped straight from a Saturday morning cartoon, but it works.

A rather small feature I’ve always appreciated in the GTA series is the radio. It adds an element of realism while also removing the need to go through menus to change the music. While it’s not quite as simple here, Island Xtreme Stunts does have multiple radio stations accessible through the in-game menu. Each of these stations plays a different kind of music, but are all DJ’ed by the same character. I was quite surprised when I discovered that along with the expected instrumental tracks, unique songs were made specifically for the game and many of these actually turned out to be clever product placements. Because there’s just nothing quite like playing a Lego game while a catchy song is telling you to play with/buy more Lego products plays in the background.

Another feature I’m sure kids will appreciate is the full voice acting. I’ve always appreciated when children’s games are voiced, even if it’s poorly done. While that’s definitely the case here, it’s not unbearable, and you can skip it if you wish. Or, if you prefer a quieter experience (or just hate horrible voice acting), the voices can be muted with subtitles turned on.

A common problem I face when playing budget games is overcoming poor controls. Odd button layouts, stiff movement and unresponsive controls are some of my more common complaints. But the problem comes when trying to describe exactly what these descriptions mean. I can’t explain why Call of Duty feels so natural; just like how I can’t explain exactly why Xtreme Stunts feels so unnatural. The button layout is similar to other action/platformer titles of the era, and the game responds immediately to any of my button presses, but the control sticks are too responsive. An odd complaint, but a real one I assure you. Pepper and any vehicle he happens to be in respond too quickly and with too much force whenever the control stick is moved. Ninety degree turns can be accomplished at full speed in about one second, Pepper has too much traction on the ground, and planes turn ridiculously fast. It’s not a game-breaking problem, but it’ll take time to adjust.

Despite the fact that this title has E for Everyone rating with no descriptors, I did find a few small questionable things. For starters, one of the characters, Penelope Puff, has a slightly revealing low cut shirt. Some very mild cartoon violence is also present, but barely worth noting since characters are never harmed in any way. Finally, champagne is mentioned, but it’s in the context of a winning a race.

I left Island Xtreme Stunts feeling indifferent. This isn’t the worst open-world game I’ve played; in fact, I think some younger children may even enjoy it. But it just doesn't have the same universal appeal of the more recent Lego games. It’s a slight step above mediocre, but not enough of a step to be anything other than average.

So as I’m sitting there with my friend, playing some shooter I‘d picked up a little while back, he mentioned how similar it is to Tribes. “Tribes?” I say, “What’s that?” “It’s pretty cool, almost like an arena shooter but in a much bigger environment and with jetpacks,” he replies. Making a mental note for myself, I told him that I’d have to try it out sometime. A few weeks later, I got my chance when I found a spin-off of the series, Tribes Aerial Assault, in a bargain bin and figured I’d give it a try. Who knows, maybe it’s an underrated gem of a game.

I popped the disc into my PS2 and the game’s basics became clear instantly: a twist on the old-school arena shooter with all the ups and downs that come with it. Deathmatch, Team Deathmatch, Capture the Flag, bot matches, two-player multiplayer, and plenty of maps—all the necessities are here. Similar to the previous games, each player has a jetpack that can be used to traverse the battlefield in various ways. “Skiing”, as it’s come to be known, is the most effective way to get around and can be used to quickly climb and descend hills, building momentum during the entire process.

And that's a very important thing in Tribes, because without speed, you’re very likely to be dead in a few seconds. The most popular weapon among CPU’s and humans alike is the Spinfusor, and it’s absolutely devastating to any idle players. Almost everyone has explosive weapons equipped, so you’re never more than a minute away from death. It’s 100% chaotic, insane, and fun.

Bounding off one mountain, skiing down the next, catching a glimpse of the enemy, and firing off that one perfect shot to win the game—Tribes is immensely satisfying once you have the basics down. There’s a much greater degree of skill involved in Tribes compared to most shooters, and while it certainly takes some time to acclimate, the reward is worth it. Instances like the one I described earlier become common, and objects that were once obstacles become ski ramps and launch sites for hit-and-run attacks.

Unfortunately, getting to that point may take a while. There’s a decent set of tutorials that help players learn the basics, but it’s clear that this game was meant to be played on a PC. The analog sticks on a PS2 controller just don’t afford the same kind of accuracy that a mouse does. Not to mention many of the button layouts feel unnatural and can only be changed before the start of a match.

This isn’t an unfixable problem, as it becomes manageable once you find a control style that works for you, but it’s still a major problem considering how important control is here. Sure, after 30 minutes or so you’ll be able to hold your own, but that first 30 minutes will be filled with learning confusing controls schemes and dying. A lot of dying.

Once that phase is over, however, things become much more enjoyable. As mentioned before, there are quite a few maps and in addition to the basic Deathmatch, Team Deathmatch, and Capture the Flag modes, two other modes, Hunter and Capture and Hold, add a pinch of spice to the otherwise modest offering. Neither one is particularly unique, mind you, but there are enough maps to ensure that there’s almost always another combination to try. Factor in the two-player split-screen multiplayer, and there’s actually quite a bit of content here. Playing with a friend is an absolute blast, and the only area where this version trumps any of the PC versions.

Which is really about everything the game has going for it, since I’m well aware that the PC versions are better. I’m glad to see that Inevitable Entertainment was able to pack so much in, but it seems like everything else took a hit because of it. The audio isn’t crisp, the voices sound awful, the graphics haven’t aged well at all, and the controls aren’t precise by any means. It’s not exactly fair to slam a game for being on the wrong console, but Tribes just can’t fit itself onto the PlayStation 2.

It’s not that there’s anything horribly wrong with it, but whenever I was playing, there were tiny problems just gnawing away at me. That structure doesn’t look good, I can’t change the controls, the analogue sticks aren’t precise enough. Even a few moral issues popped up; aside from the obvious violence, I noticed a revealing female outfit.

Coming away from Tribes Aerial Assault, my feelings are mixed. As my first experience with the Tribes series, I loved it. The multitude of maps, mixed with a few different modes, and split-screen multiplayer more than justified the purchase for me. But at the same time, I realize that most people will prefer any of the PC games. If you have no other way of playing Tribes, and you have a friend to play with, this isn’t a bad option; otherwise, just stick to the PC.

Reviewed by Kerodohi for the Playstation 2Rated T for Language and Fantasy ViolenceReleased in October 2006Developed by: CyberConnect2Published by: Namco BandaiSingle PlayerGenre: Action/RPG

.hack//G.U. Vol.1: Rebirth is the first volume of a three-game series. It’s a third-person RPG with a unique premise – you play the game as someone who’s playing a game. A complex story, fitting soundtrack, and excellent voice acting are some of the perks. However, there are some substantial flaws to be addressed, namely the sub-par graphics, recycled level design, and a few moral issues.

Story

The World, a popular MMORPG, has been revamped as The World R:2 after the original game’s data servers were lost in a fire at the CC Corp. headquarters. The main character, known in-game as Haseo, is a notorious Player Killer Killer, also called the Terror of Death. Really, all he wants is to become as strong as possible in order to hunt down and destroy an entity known as Tri-Edge. Any Player Characters killed by Tri-Edge fall into a coma in real life. Haseo’s close friend Shino is among the victims, and he is determined to find a way to save her. A mysterious organization known as G.U. approaches Haseo and tells him of a power hidden within his character data that can give him the strength he wants so badly.

Note that the storyline of G.U. is split into three games. This summary only covers Rebirth, the first volume.

Gameplay – 18/20

.hack//G.U. plays as one would expect. While ‘in-game’, it plays almost identically to a typical MMORPG. You have HP (hit points) and SP (skill points, somewhat akin to magic or mana points in other RPGs), visit instances, defeat bosses, take on quests, and level-grind. There’s also the battle arena, which becomes integral to the story later on, where you fight against other players. You can also invite other players into your party if you have their Member Addresses (though this is pretty strictly regulated by what part of the story you happen to be at).

The World is structured across different servers, and instances are reached with Area Words. By combining three words together, you determine the level of the area, whether it’s a dungeon or a field, and what the final objective is (defeating the boss, opening the Beast Statue treasure chest, etc). There’s also the Quest Shop, which allows you to take on a more specific task in exchange for a reward.

The combat system is fairly easy to master, consisting mainly of mashing the X button to attack or the O button to guard. When approaching enemies in the field, if you’re careful, you can perform a sneak attack. This allows you to get in some extra damage and also gives you bonus points at the end of the instance. Once you’re engaged in battle, a force field will block you into a smallish area, and will not disappear until the enemies are defeated (or until you use an item that lets you escape). The only thing I had a bit of trouble figuring out at first was how to use items (your Skill Trigger gauge must be full).

Once you progress a little ways into the game, Haseo gains the Skill Trigger ability, which uses Skill Points. These Triggers change depending on what weapon class you have equipped, and are mapped to the face buttons. Pressing either shoulder button during combat, followed by the appropriate face button, will allow you to unleash a special attack. Once you use a Trigger attack, you must wait for the gauge to fill back up. If you use a Skill Trigger ability after dealing a certain amount combo damage to an enemy, it will unleash a Rengeki – a very powerful attack that also adds bonuses to your gained experience. Be careful when using Skill Trigger abilities in the Arena, as your opponent can perform a Counter-Rengeki.

Awakening Mode can be unlocked by filling the Morale Gauge. Once triggered, your party will gain special abilities (such as increased speed or attack) until the Morale Gauge is depleted.

Later on, once you pass a certain point in the story, you also fight some battles with a powerful, mech-like being called an Avatar. These battles are quite simple, as the game prompts you with the correct buttons to push for certain tasks. Mostly, you just dodge your opponent’s attacks, stun them with ranged missiles, and then close in to do heavy damage with a slashing attack. Once you deplete your opponent’s HP, their Avatar will go into a state known as Protect Break. You then hold X (while avoiding attacks), which will fill your Data Drain gauge and allow you to defeat the enemy.

As with many RPGs, you can customize your weapons and armor for maximum effectiveness. There’s also the option to upgrade your weapon with the Alchemy lab in your @home (clan headquarters).

There are a very small amount of different level designs - a couple of dungeons, and about four fields. Many of the instance objectives are the same. It can get pretty repetitive after awhile, although Haseo levels rather quickly.

Outside of The World, Haseo has a fully functional computer desktop. There are options to customize the wallpaper and the background music. Checking email, reading forums, and saving your game data are the main tasks here.

Graphics – 7/10

While they didn’t affect the gameplay, the graphics were definitely underwhelming. The character designs are intricate and gorgeous. But the animations (especially body language and general motion) are unrealistic and often jerky, even for an anime-styled game. I noticed several instances where body parts such as hands would just randomly disappear. The modeling is quite blocky, and often the textures just look flat. As said before, there’s not much variation in level designs.

The battle animations, in contrast, are pretty nice. The Rengeki and Skill Trigger sequences in particular are fun to watch and look fairly epic.

The cutscenes are nothing special, either, despite their length. Often, they’re full of weird camera angles and the graphical quality is no better than the game proper. Both camera options during play are perfectly fine, however.

Sound – 10/10

The music, while not outstanding, fits the mood and general style of the game well. There are a lot of vocals and Eastern-sounding stringed instruments. Many of the tracks are either very similar or go off in a wildly different style (like the battle music), but overall it’s cohesive enough.

The voice acting is incredibly well done. Haseo, in particular, is very believable. Other characters such as Pi, Kuhn, Yata, Sakaki, and Ovan each has very unique voices and were enjoyable to listen to. Atoli, on the other hand, reminded me of fingernails on a blackboard. It fitted her character and emphasized her neediness and insecurity, but I often found myself cringing whenever she spoke.

During battles, the weapon and attack sounds are quite good. Each weapon type has its own set of sounds, which are usually believable enough. The constant catch-phrases and grunts of your party members can get a little repetitive and annoying after awhile.

Stability – 5/5

Sometimes while using a Skill Trigger during battle (mostly just with a large amount of enemies present) the game would slow down a bit. Other than that, I didn’t see any problems.

Controls/Interface – 5/5

The controls are pretty typical for a JRPG. Press X for most things, O to go back. The menus and navigation are simple and easy for the most part. Many can be controlled with both the left stick and the directional pad. The camera is mapped to the right stick. Skill Triggers are accessed with the shoulder buttons and you can customize which ability goes with which face button. The left stick is used for movement and has several levels of speed (i.e.: the farther forward, the faster you run). In combat, X attacks, O guards, and the other two are used for Skill Triggers. Most of the time, the game itself will tell you which buttons to push while navigating menus, so it’s quite simple.

Appropriateness – 33/50

Rebirth is rated T and many gamers won’t have a problem with the content. Most of the issues are fairly mild, but there are enough of them to warrant taking a closer look.

Obviously, there’s fantasy violence. Most of it is just killing monsters out in the field. However, Haseo is a PKK (Player Killer Killer), which basically means that he kills those who kill other players. (You can choose not to intervene in a Player battle out on the field, but Haseo is shown striking down PKs without mercy in a few cutscenes). Also, your opponents in the arena are Player Characters (note that, in The World, the Arena is the only place where killing other players is sanctioned, due to the strict rules in place). There is no blood or gore in the game, however, and enemy bodies disappear after you defeat them.

The main menace of the game is something known as AIDA, and sometimes Player Characters can be infected with it. One has to use an Avatar to defeat it. If you squint at it the right way, it could be considered possession. Endrance, in particular, knows he’s infected. However, he won’t give up the AIDA (which has manifested itself in the form of his dead cat), and in fact allowed himself to be infected in the first place.

Haseo in particular tends to swear a lot, using d-mn, h-ll, and b-stard throughout the game. Other characters can usually be found saying d-mn on a fairly regular basis. God’s name is also taken in vain several times. A couple times it’s found paired with d-mn on the forums.

Kuhn is often seen with a harem of girls. Piros the 3rd usually addresses Haseo as ‘he of beautiful eyes’ and makes a joke with sexual overtones near the end of the game.

Several characters wear revealing outfits. Pi, in particular, is very well endowed and wears little more than a bikini. Bordeaux also wears barely anything. I didn’t have a problem with Atoli’s attire, although some people might object to the fact that she appears to be wearing bloomers.

It’s not stated explicitly in Rebirth, but it’s implied that Endrance is homosexual (supported by more obvious references in the second and third games).

There isn’t really a magic presence in the game, per se. Healing and combat abilities are considered skills, not spells. Negative status effects have names such as Curse. One of the Awakenings is called Demon Awakening, and it does unleash powerful magic attacks. Also, one of the three Arenas, and the one you play in for this game, is titled Demon Palace.

Haseo is a rude and rather socially inept player, often flouting authority for his own purposes and brushing off other players. He is seen a few times deliberately disobeying orders, even when doing so could cause catastrophic damage. However, he does eventually see the error of his ways (with a little help, of course) and begins to show greater respect for authority, as well as the dangerous power he wields. His kinder side comes through in some moments, often when talking to Silabus and Gaspard. However, he doesn’t get a chance to reconcile with Atoli before the game ends.

As far as I can remember, there wasn’t any terribly gross humor in the game. Some of it wasn’t in the best taste, but I don’t think there were any overt references to bodily functions or the like.

The only biases in the game are against job classes, usually the Beast types, as well as the Adept Rogue. I don’t consider this to be an issue, as it’s fairly acceptable to have preferences in-game.

Final thoughts: I personally enjoyed playing Rebirth for the most part, despite all its flaws. The story, while it could be confusing, was deep and engaging, and the game managed to keep my interest with its unique single-player MMO style of play. There were definitely some issues, enough to warrant some discretion before playing.

For anyone who likes Dance Dance Revolution (DDR) this is a pretty good game. Not only does it have the classic Game Mode, it also has an online mode where you can compete head-to-head and chart your internet rankings. Just like the previous DDR Extreme, Extreme 2 utilizes the Eye Toy USB camera so you can see yourself dancing if you want to. There are over seventy songs to get you hopping to.

How do I play?

If you are new to DDR, there are some helpful modes available in this game. Lesson Mode will teach you the basics and some helpful techniques. Training Mode will help you on a particular song or parts of a song. The basic game play is still the same. You have arrows coming up on the screen and you must press the dance pad arrow when the arrow lines up with the one on top. You are rated on your timing: Marvelous (in challenge mode), Perfect, Great, Good, Almost, and Boo. There is a life bar and if that depletes, you fail the song. There’s an announcer to encourage you or taunt you if you fail. Most songs have multiple difficulty levels you can choose from: Beginner, Light, Standard, Heavy, and Challenge.

What are the different Game Modes?

Game mode: In this mode you can play solo using one or two pads (double), or a two player competitive mode. Also in Game Mode you can play Non-Stop Mode where you have one health meter and play through four songs at a time with no breaks in between. Advanced Mode has you play preset courses and you dance until your life meter runs out. Dance Master Mode is quite challenging. In Dance Master mode you must complete challenges to unlock more challenges and stages. Naturally, they get harder and harder as you unlock more. Each mission will have a random objective that you must perform in order to pass. Some of the objectives are to finish a song with a score over a certain value, or get a certain grade letter, or not to press any arrows simultaneously (Hard!) DDR is a great way to lose weight. If you enter your weight in the workout mode it will tell you how many calories you just burned after finishing a song. You can customize songs and steps using the Edit Mode. The defaults are fine for me.

Unlockables

This game has a generous helping of songs, and many of them are from previous versions of DDR so they will sound familiar to veteran players. There are over seventy songs, many of which you have to unlock. You get points for playing songs or beating challenges in the Dance Master Mode. In the shop you can purchase songs, outfits, challenge courses, custom arrows, and hints.

Songs

Most of the songs in DDR are dance/techno. There are some re-made flashbacks like Play that Funky Music and I Will Survive. Some popular artists include Fatboy Slim, Captain Jack, Aqua, Brittney Spears, Chemical brothers, and Christina Aguilera. For those like me with many DDR games, there are lots of recycled songs but there’s enough new ones to make things interesting.

Graphics

DDR doesn’t really require bleeding-edge graphics, but the 3D dance characters and animated movies in the backgrounds look nice. It’s hard going back to the original Dance Dance Revolution or Konamix game after playing this.

Sound

This game is all about music and moving your feet. The music is great provided you like dance music, and the announcer is not annoying. No complaints here.

Controls

The menu system is easy to navigate and the dance controls are not too bad once you’re used to them. My only complaint here is that it’s too easy to accidentally erase your progress in Dance Master Mode.

Appropriateness

Even though this game is rated E10+ I find a few things annoying. There are a few suggestive songs that I don’t like listening to. These include Get Busy, Genie in a Bottle, In the Heat of the Night, and Oops, I Did It Again. (-3.5). Many of the female dancers wear Daisy Duke style shorts and I fail to see how they could be comfortable, especially for dancing. They often have bikini or tight tops also (-1.5).

Conclusion

DDR Extreme 2 is a worthy addition to any DDR lover’s library. The Eye Toy support, dance master and Online modes are welcome additions. The plethora of unlockables are nice also. The song collection is pretty good but there are some questionable songs bundled in. Overall, this is one of my favorites in the series.

Have you ever wanted to work out in the comfort of your own home? Have you ever wanted your own personal trainer to keep you motivated? Are you tired of watching the same old VHS or DVD workout tapes? If you answered yes to any of these questions, you may want to look into Yourself! Fitness.

When you first run the game, it will go through a “fitness evaluation” where it will collect your height, weight, resting, and non-resting heart rates. The game will also want you to do push-ups, 2 minutes of jumping jacks (hard when you’re out of shape), crunches, and flexibility stretches. The results will determine what your fitness training focus will be. You’ll have to repeat this evaluation after every ten workouts. There are user profiles and a guest pass so your settings will stay unique to you.

You can work on:

Cardio

Core-body strength

Flexibility

Lower-body strength

Upper-body strength

Weight-Loss

There are so many options to help you meet your goals. You can set up a commitment schedule where you can determine how often and how long you want your workouts to be. There’s a meal plan where you can set your calorie intake and there are over 4500 recipes to keep your diet interesting. I did not try any of the recipes, so I can’t tell you how good they are. Yourself! Fitness integrates with workout equipment you may already have such as: hand weights, stability ball, step, and heart-rate monitor.

The workouts themselves are pretty formulaic but different each time. You’ll start out with warm ups like step-touch, shuffles, and light kicks, and you’ll then go into tougher things like karate kicks with a squat, hops, jumping jacks. double jacks, and more. After those, you’ll work on your focus area and then a cool down with quad and hamstring stretches along with the occasional neck stretch. There are cool downs and water breaks along the way. As you progress to the next phase of your workout, Maya the trainer will ask you how you’re keeping up. Depending on your answer, she will adjust the difficulty accordingly. Each Workout is unique and they'll throw in new exercises to mix things up. At the end of the work out, it will tell you what new exercises were introduced and how many calories were burned.

The interface is very easy to use and navigate through. On the bottom of the screen there is a time countdown and the workout modules scroll across from right to left. The exercise segments vary from 5 seconds to 1 minute or more, but are typically 15-30 seconds each. As the exercise and break modules line up on the bottom of the screen, you can see what’s queued up and coming at you.

If you keep meeting your commitments, you will unlock new music genres and workout locations. The workout locales range from a Dojo, Mountain, Desert and Island retreats, and a yuppie high rise. Each location is relaxing and has some background activity like hot air balloons, helicopters or bicyclists passing by. The scenery looks great and you almost feel like you’re there. Maya looks fairly life-like, though you can tell she’s animated. The camera angling is good for the most part, but I have experienced some weird angling problems. Fortunately, they correct themselves within 30 seconds or so.

There are many music genres available but to be honest, they are quite forgettable and pretty much all sound the same. You can choose from dance, Latin, hip-hop, house, and techno. Maya’s movements are tied to the music’s beats per minute, and she will sometimes pause to find the beat before moving on. The voice acting is pretty well done but it doesn’t give her that much of a personality. They tried by giving her a couple of cheesy lines.

I’m not really one for Yoga but there is a meditation garden area where you can do some twenty minute yoga routines with Maya. Some of the stretches have questionable names or references like the moon goddess pose, etc. Other than that this game is pretty clean.

If you’re looking to tone up, lose weight or stay motivated I would highly recommend this title. I haven’t really tried the recipes or yoga, but the workouts are pretty good. I did notice a difference and my muscles got toned. There were some days where I was sore, but it was a good experience.

The Spiderwick Chronicles is a movie based game which is basically a retelling of the recently released movie of the same name. Jared and his twin Simon, as well as their older sister Mallory, endured a tragic parental split up. Their mom has inherited a large, old house where they go to live. Their mother\'s uncle Arthur Spiderwick used to live there and disappeared long ago. Jared, being the restless one, decides to explore this old, mysterious house. After exploring and finding some secret rooms, he discovers the Field Guide. Once opened, the magical world around them comes to life, as they are now being hunted by the ogre Mulgarath, who wants the Field Guide for himself, so he can rule the world. He\'s willing to stop at nothing, including killing Jared and his family.

In the early part of your adventure, you play as Jared for the most part, with only occasional changes to his brother or sister. The player has a 3D, third person view of the game world, with a manually adjustable camera. At this point, it\'s rather non-violent and is of the classic adventure style, where you collect a broom to make a weapon to break open a loose wall to discover a dumbwaiter which leads to a secret area with a workbench and so on as you piece together puzzle after puzzle which helps progress the story. The Field Guide, which you can access with the press of a button, helps a lot as it lists all of your current quests, your character\'s capabilities, what sprites you have, and more. If you are stuck on a quest, often times the guide will have a helpful hint to get you through, though sometimes too helpful if you like to figure things out on your own.

After a certain event, things take a turn for the worse and get violent. A newly found friend Thimbletack, who is roughly the size of a mouse, helps you gain the ability to see the magical world around you, after which you have to engage the enemy. You can also control Thimbletack in a few unique missions inside the walls of the house. Jared is the first character you control, and he whacks the many goblins you will face with a baseball bat. Later on, you control Simon with a tomato juice squirting contraption that he creates, and Mallory who is a trained fencer, so you utilize her sword. Each character has their strengths and weaknesses, with Jared being the most well rounded, though several quests require each character in turn.

As you defeat enemies, they leave behind goblin teeth. Each one is similar to an experience point, and as you collect them as each character, you unlock more attack abilities. Basically, each character has a few different attack motions, as well as a charge attack. After collecting fifty teeth, you have every move available for that character, and after one hundred and fifty you can attack with the charge move in an unlimited fashion; otherwise you are forced to stop after a time.

A major part of this game is sprites. During the early part of your quest, you will find a sprite net. As you explore the world around you, you find many small flying, hopping, or walking sprites. As you try to capture each one, you perform a small mini-game to complete it. You are given a paintbrush, and you have to paint onto a canvas within the time given to reveal the sprite on the canvas. This task is not very difficult, but it does serve to help you remember what you capture, and also takes time, so that if there are goblins in the area, your capture may be canceled by their attack. I found this task to be much easier and quicker with the Wii remote than with the PS2 analog stick. Each sprite has a unique name, and there are quite a few to collect as you go on your adventure.

Each sprite has one of several abilities depending on the type of sprite they are. The more of each type you have recorded in the Field Guide, the more effect it has. One type heals you, another makes you run faster, while another increases your damage, and so on. You can also hold only three at a time, so you do have to be selective when heading out for battle. I often found that one or two of them would be the healing ones, with the third spot being open, since you cannot collect new sprites, even ones you have not caught before, without a free slot.

Most of the action is pretty much button mashing. A few of the character moves require timing, but it\'s mostly mashing. The Wii controls do offer a freestyle mode where you swing the Wii remote to activate each different style of attack, and it is interesting that way, but I found the button much more effective. I played the game on hard difficulty and found it pretty manageable for the most part. When goblins are nearby, they make one of a few distinctive noises to give you a clue where they are coming from and how close they are. For the most part it works pretty well. If you rush into an area, enemies can swarm you, and come from several directions, but I rarely found it too overbearing. The only thing I found tricky is that in certain places you will find enemies throwing rocks at you, and if you are a character that cannot retaliate like Mallory, or one who does very little ranged damage like Jared, it can get rather hairy quickly. And annoying if you are trying to catch a sprite. This is also one area where the camera control is a little annoying. On Wii, camera control is done by holding the C button and tilting the nunchuck. This works okay, but at times it can be a little slow when you are trying to find your opponent, especially when those rocks are whacking you. The PS2 version is slightly better with camera controls as the second analog stick is arguably easier to use than tilting the nunchuck, but for painting and aiming it is much, much worse without the remote, so I would say overall the Wii controls are much better.

Having undoubtedly good source material, the mood and atmosphere are well set and enjoyable, especially early on in the adventure. The voice acting is absolutely excellent, and really improves the feel a whole lot. I also found myself really starting to like the characters as well. I will most likely look into the movie when it is out on DVD. In my opinion, the biggest disturbances to the flow and storyline are ironically the movie cut scenes. They most likely come right from the movie, but they just don\'t fit. Their main purpose is to explain what happens between where you just were and where you are right after the scene, and some scenes work adequately well, while others barely do so. For those familiar with the story anyhow it\'s probably not a big deal, but for someone who has not seen the movie or read the books may find it a little jarring like I did.

The graphics are decent, though not spectacular. The frame rate is a little hit or miss at times, but nothing that makes the game frustrating to me. Both the Wii and PS2 versions support 480p and 16:9 widescreen, which is nice, and not always common for PS2 games. The Wii seems to have slightly more detail and texture quality than the PS2, but not strikingly so. There is a decent amount of variety in the environment, with quite a few trees visible, as well as grass and other bits of business around. An overhead map would have been nice, as there are a couple of areas with somewhat confusing or repetitive terrain, but it\'s not that bad overall. Inside the house, you have a very good feeling you are in an old house with a lot of history, with old style lamp stands, curtains, furniture, and a large piano adorning various rooms. I wasn\'t really wowed from what I saw, though I wasn\'t too disappointed either.

The music score is very atmospheric. I enjoyed that it contributed to the experience and did not take away from it, though I don\'t think I\'ll be ordering the soundtrack. The sound effects are very good and appropriate, and the voice acting is fantastic, as it\'s from the same folks who were in the movie. I always enjoyed hearing each character as they described the world around them in their own words. It helped give the game a higher quality feel that I appreciated.

For a game targeted for children, it is rather violent in the latter half. Fortunately, you are always attacking goblins, and there is no blood or remains, as bodies disappear immediately. You never fight because of revenge or anger; it is always because of defense or rescuing those you care about. There is some magic, mostly in the form of the sprites. Your characters never use any other kind of magic themselves. In my opinion, it\'s pretty harmless fairy-tale style magic that is no worse than Narnia or similar children\'s stories. In my opinion, the ESRB rating of 10+ fits just fine.

The Spiderwick Chronicles is a fun game with a good atmosphere, though the main adventure is a bit short. I got almost everything (only two sprites left to find before completing this game), and I have clocked in around eleven and one half hours according to the in game clock. To complete just the main quest is a bit less than that; if you skipped all side quests or were just really efficient you could probably do it in six to eight hours without too much trouble. It\'s too bad, because more of this game would have been fun. There are simple multiplayer options, where you and a friend can compete to catch sprites, with or without the interference of goblins, but I doubt most would spend a whole lot of time playing them since it is fairly shallow. Sadly, there is no co-op, which would have been fun considering there is more than one family member available much of the time. But with all that said, for fans of the movie, or someone looking for something a bit different, I found it to be fun, and if the price is right, you probably will too.

Virtua Fighter 4: Evolution has been dubbed by many to be the pinnacle of Sega-AM2\'s long running series. With the ridiculously technical fighting system of VF4 (which the series has long been known for), Evolution built upon its foundation with subtle modifications and an expanded array of customization content. Though there is a loose plot in the background of VF4:Evolution, the developer\'s focus is entirely on the gameplay.

For the unaware, Virtua Fighter\'s history has been one of deep gameplay experiences riding on the back of technological advancement. In less wordy terms, Virtua Fighter\'s engines have always required players to learn their characters in order to win. With a couple of possible exceptions, the various fighters have never responded well to players that simply mash the buttons and hope for the best. Though this may deter many casual gamers, the more dedicated gamers have generally been Sega-AM2\'s target audience. Indeed, gamers that are willing to put the effort in to learn a fighter\'s various moves have always found a deeply rewarding engine underneath it all.

VF4:Evolution, in short, does the series justice. However, in spite of its seeming favoritism towards patient gamers, Evolution has a couple of characters that allow newcomers to perform cool looking attack combinations with relative ease. All the same, a fairly skilled player will still hold an advantage with a better grasp of how incoming attacks flow, allowing them to guard against, or even reverse, an opponent\'s efforts. To make things better yet, every character in the game (of which there are 16) is truly distinct. No two characters have the same feel or “canned combos” (attack combinations built into the game). For the less hardcore players, this means that there is likely to be a character well suited for a particular fighting style; however, for the more hardcore players, this means that there are 16 unique characters to learn and master.

Each of these 16 characters represents an entirely different fighting style based on a real-world martial art. These arts vary in background and function, and appreciators of the arts should be pleased. From the absolute brutality of Goh\'s Judo, to the lightning speed of Jacky\'s Jeet Kun Do (the fighting style developed by Bruce Lee), to the defensive elegance of Aoi\'s Aiki-Jujitsu, the various martial arts are fairly well represented in Evolution. Just as important as the realism of these arts is the fact that they are all fairly well balanced in regards to the gameplay; no discipline has a sure advantage over any other. Instead, like a game of chess, the winner will be the one who is most able to plan a strategy, set it in motion, and react well to opponent\'s actions.

VF4:Evolution provides a handful of game modes. The original Arcade mode is present in order to simulate the progression that an arcade cabinet would have. This is as simple as attempting to work through a ladder of opponents to gain ultimate victory with a high score. A second player can jump in at any time as a challenger. If a player loses a match in Arcade mode, he/she can continue from that point in the ladder with a loss in the score. In all reality, you probably won\'t be spending much time in the Arcade mode. The Versus mode, the very impressive Quest mode, and the great Training mode, will be where gamers are most likely to spend their time.

For many fighting game enthusiasts, the competition with real people is where all of the fun happens. That is largely the case in Evolution. The match options are fairly basic, consisting of simple settings for rounds per match and time per round. Still, the Virtua Fighter series has never really been about bells and whistles; in spite of its no-frills appearance, the Versus mode provides exactly what it ought to: quick access to excellent competition with friends. The balance and variety of the various fighters shines most brightly in the Versus matches. Matches are generally quick and intense. As mentioned previously, the fighting system really pushes players to not only learn how to control their characters of choice, but also learn how to read and respond to their opponents. Without doubt, this is the chess of fighting games. Thanks the the character variety and playing styles, Versus mode has practically infinite replay value so long as you can keep others around. As an added bonus, the customizations made to character appearances in the Quest mode can be brought into the Versus mode for players to give that personal touch to their favorite characters.

Quest mode is a surprisingly deep single-player experience that does a great job as a substitute for playing with other people; this is probably because the opponent AI in Quest mode is modeled after the fighting techniques used by some of the best players in Japan. Not only does the AI reflect playing in an arcade with skilled players, but the presentation also sucks gamers into a great simulation of an arcade experience. Players will face off against endless opponents while gaining ranks and unlocking a plethora of visual customizations for their characters of choice. While gaining respect in the various arcades in Quest mode, tournaments will become available throughout the region. Winning these competitions result in more fame, fortune, and customization items. Though this may sound like a barely modified form of the core Arcade mode, the actual presentation and progression of Quest mode sets it apart in fighting games.

The Training mode is also a most welcome part of the ensemble. Though it would be easy to make light of a training mode, assuming that it merely gives you a move list and a practice dummy, Evolution\'s Training mode is exceptional. The game offers hand-holding for every move and canned combo of every character. With a game as complex and deep as Evolution, this kind of training tool is practically necessary. In addition to this portion of Training mode, a typical do-what-you-want-to-a-dummy option is offered. This option allows for all of the common dummy-control options such as whether or not it attacks and so forth.

As if Evolution didn\'t offer gamers enough bang for their buck in the core package, Sega-AM2 decided to include a special 10th Anniversary mode. This mode tweaks the fighting engine to resemble the original Virtua Fighter (including the floating jumps) and replaces the character models with low-polygon models similar to those of the first game. Smaller and lacking walls, the original stages are in place. For the most part, the majority of the character movesets remain intact. Though the 10th Anniversary mode won\'t likely be the mainstay for most gamers, it is a most pleasant addition to Evolution.

Though Virtua Fighter has never put bells and whistles above the core gameplay experience, the series has rarely disappointed in technological progress. Evolution is no exception to this rule. The character models and animations are extremely well done and smooth for the PS2 hardware. Make no mistake, this is not the most beautiful game to ever be released on the PS2; however, it is still pleasing on the eyes. There is never a lack of fluidity in the animations. The models and their actions bear great expressions. The environments in Evolution may not be interactive (aside from the snow that covers the ground of one stage), but they are well designed and look good. This is even better thanks to the variety of lighting and weather effects in place on most of the stages. The only real disappointment in the visual department is the lack of support for 16:9 widescreen and progressive scan. However, given the release date of the game, this is acceptable.

In addition to the generally beautiful appearance of Evolution, the audio aspects of the game hold their own. The combat sounds are as hard-hitting as the fighting demands. The sound of air displacement as fists flash relays the speed and intesnity of the fights. The sound of a successful hit lets you know that contact was made. The sounds of a devastating blow are appropriately brutal. Every character has an array of voiceover commentary, as well. It is a pleasant surprise to find that these voice snippets are actually enjoyable when it is common for such voice work to be exceedingly annoying. From the memorable sound of hitting the start button on the title screen, to every bit of the interface, the sound effects work well. Though the game\'s soundtrack may not consist of the most memorable tunes around, the music is well suited for the game, as well.

Perhaps the biggest issue surrounding Evolution that gamers will have to face is the fact that Virtua Fighter 5 has recently been released on the PS3 and Xbox 360. Because of this, it is important to ask how well Evolution can hold its own against its successor. Make no mistake, in just about every regards, VF5 surpasses Evolution. The biggest changes are in the visuals, an increase in the fighter roster, and, in the case of the 360, online play. By all means, VF5 is beautiful. Though the new fighters make VF5 more accessible to less hardcore players than Evolution, the core experience is largely unchanged; it does, however, feel slightly faster and smoother than Evolution. The online play could be a large draw for enthusiasts, but the overall simplicity of the online play modes does weaken its draw.

Regarding the moral content of Evolution, it is a fairly simple matter. The violence can get fairly brutal (bones should be broken, and some moves literally kick opponents while they\'re down). However, there is no blood or gore. There is no profanity that can be recalled. The supernatural is also absent. There is no sexual content, per se, but some of the female character costumes can be revealing. Fortunately, it is entirely an optional matter to choose such costumes. The big exception to this is Dural, a semi-human that plays the role of the Training mode dummy. This model has a female form that is completely metallic in appearance, but she is naked; in direct terms, her breasts are fully visible in form, but, given the nature of the character appearance, it is hardly any different than a full-body wetsuit. Additionally, there is no exaggerated bouncing breast physics engine in place (though some bounce is visible in Dural).

Without doubt, Virtua Fighter 4: Evolution is the thinker\'s fighting game. The extremely deep and rewarding fighting system will either turn gamers away or turn them into lifelong fans that will never get enough of the game. Though the game is marketed towards the more hardcore fans of the genre, it is not completely inaccessible to the more mainstream gamers thanks to a handful of simpler characters. The almost overwhelming depth of Quest mode, and the always addicting nature of the Versus mode, will keep players hooked for a long time. Though great, everything else is just the icing on the cake. Given the violent nature of the game (and the few cases of revealing costumes that can be donned by female characters), Evolution is not for everyone. Still, it is one of the most morally acceptable fighting games around, and one of the best overall games in its class. VF5 may be on store shelves now, but Evolution is a fraction of the price. Though VF5 is better than Evolution in just about every way, with how similar the core experience is, Evolution can still hold its own for most gamers. If you\'re a fan of the genre, you pretty much owe it to yourself to pick this game up.